1957 Lincoln Premiere Coupe

[TexRiv_63]

This car just arrived Monday afternoon from Washington State. I have never owned a big 50's fin car so I took the plunge with this one. It is definitely BIG , 225" long with a 126" wheelbase, and it has gigantic outward canted fins or "blades" as they are referred to in the 57 brochure. The engine is a 368 cubic inch, 300 horsepower version of the 50s Ford Y-block, although I see little resemblance to the 272 in my long gone 55 Ford. It's a loaded car, with power steering, brakes, windows, vent windows, antenna, 6-way seat, and Town and Country radio. It even has factory air in the trunk with the plexiglass ducts to the headliner vents. I've been checking it out slowly this week and yesterday I drove it to the state inspection station where it passed! The tech was almost going to fail me for not having any bright lights so I had to show him it had a dual filament bulb, he had never seen that before. It runs well but had some trouble when it warmed up in the 90 degree heat here, not sure if that is tuning or impending vapor lock.

Things I've noticed so far: only three out of four windows work and all the windows need alignment. The brakes work almost too well and will put you through the windshield if you forget what car you are in. It has a very smooth ride but I have not driven it enough to fully check out the handling. The power steering leaks but works well. The "Turbo-Drive" transmission is a beefed up version of the Borg-Warner Fordomatic, starts in 2nd gear. They added a big fluid cooling radiator for the trans in 57 to keep it from burning up like the previous versions.

I will not be restoring this car but will clean it up and try to get everything working to make a dependable cruiser. Here are a few photos and I'll keep you posted on my progress as I get into it.

[1957Birdman]

Don - It looks like a great addition to your fleet. I just wanted to correct one small misconception on your part. The 368 CID engine is not a Y-Block, although it shares many of the same design characteristics of the Y-Block. It was first introduced in the 1952 lincoln as a 317.5 CID engine. It was later bored out to the larger 368 CID. I don't believe that any of the parts associated with the 317/368 are interchangeable with the 239/256/272/292/312 Y-Blocks.

It looks like a really nice car. Enjoy!

[unimogjohn]

Don, what a beauty! You never see a 50 or 60s Lincoln anymore. What a rare find. Congratulations. Pls do keep us posted.

[TexRiv_63]

Don - It looks like a great addition to your fleet. I just wanted to correct one small misconception on your part. The 368 CID engine is not a Y-Block, although it shares many of the same design characteristics of the Y-Block. It was first introduced in the 1952 lincoln as a 317.5 CID engine. It was later bored out to the larger 368 CID. I don't believe that any of the parts associated with the 317/368 are interchangeable with the 239/256/272/292/312 Y-Blocks.

Thanks Lew, I'm not surprised after spending more time checking the engine compartment out today. It looks a little like a Y-block but it appears to be larger visually. I do see that the sparkplugs are just as hard to get at!

[Mark Simmons]

1957 Birdman, were not these Lincoln motors the same cast as the larger "Y" blocks. The 232"s thru 390"s ? I owned a few of those years ago and remember them all fondly with the exception of a 360 that was in a Ford 250 that I bought. Mark

[1957Birdman]

Mark - As best I understand it, the Y-Blocks were their own engine family, with the maximum displacement that Ford offered being 312 CID. Having said that, it doesn't mean that they didn't share design characteristics with other Ford engines. The FE big block series (332, 352, 390, and 428) was introduced in 1958 and it shared some design characteristics with the Y-Block, but was not a Y-Block. The racing engines (352, 390, 406, and 427) were offshoots of the FE big block, but had cross bolted mains to improve durability in racing applications. As for the Lincoln 430 CID and 462 CID, I don't know much about them. I'm sure there are others on this forum that know a lot more than I do and can add more detail. I hope this answers your question.

[TexRiv_63]

I just got back from my second trip with the car, took it to the insurance agent for them to take photos. When I drove it in for state inspection on Wednesday it ran fine on the way down. The first part of the test involves a fast stop from 20 mph, they let me drive due to the age of the car and we all got a good laugh when I locked the wheels and almost launched myself thru the windshield. Right after that it started to idle rough and wanted to die. I pulled it inside for the rest of the inspection and it did not want to start after but finally did. It idled badly and wanted to stall all the way home to the point that I was driving with two feet to keep it going at stops. I got it in the garage just before it did die, then would not start, seemed like it was flooded. The next day it started up and ran fine and did the same today on my trip. I'm beginning to wonder if my quick stop stirred up some gunk somewhere which later settled - I'll keep an eye on that.

The car runs and drives quite well. There is some lifter noise which may respond to an adjustment. It floats a bit on long dips but nothing dramatic, I assume these cars probably did that normally. The brakes pull to left, I will be pulling all the drums soon to check out the whole system. Today I'm going to finish cleaning it up including much chrome polishing.

[Mark Simmons]

Lew- Thankyou for the info about the Ford engines. Some place decades ago now I heard the FE 's referred to as the big "Y" blocks and it stuck somehow. I ran several of both lines of engines in 50's and 60's Fords and Mercury's some with the external oiling system for the rocker arms on the "Y" blocks. Thanks again! Mark

[unimogjohn]

Don, sure sounds like a very dirty fuel filter. Probably one of the first things I would change out.

[Guest Kingoftheroad]

Don, what a beauty! You never see a 50 or 60s Lincoln anymore. What a rare find. Congratulations. Pls do keep us posted.

^^^ What he said ..^^^

I'm looking forward to seeing & learning more about this beauty as you go through it..

[TexRiv_63]

Spent yesterday afternoon washing it and polishing chrome. The front cleaned up real nice, rear bumper is rusty on the bottom. A lot of the diecast is pitted, big surprise, but polished up for a good 10 foot view. I took it to my Morning Maniacs carnut coffee group this morning and it generated a lot of interest, not too many cars that big around. I found out the car also came with the Multiluber option which automatically greased the front end with the push of a button - unfortunately the button is missing and all of the lines have been disconnected. This car was also the first Ford product to have a spin-on oil filter and a replaceable paper air filter. It also was the first to have Ram-Air, cold air ducted from behind the grille, eat your heart out GTO! On my way home I had the rough idle problem again, I will replace the filter, John.

[D Yaros]

It generated a lot of interest, not too many cars that big around.

I hear you. I get the same type of reaction to my '55 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. One just does not see a lot of luxury land yachts cruising the highways and byways these days. One also does not see leaded gasoline at 36 cents a gallon!

[TexRiv_63]

Back at work this week so not much time available for cars. I did change the fuel filter last night, went to start it up and found the battery stone dead! The previous owner had warned me that there was a power drain somewhere and installed a POS disconnect on the negative battery terminal. This apparently worked while the car was on the transporter but when I tried it it did not actually disconnect the power. I kept the battery on the Tender last week but forgot to hook it up after I drove it Saturday morning so whatever the drain is it ate up the whole charge in 2 1/2 days. The battery is located under the front passenger floor in this car with a locking cover over it, loads of fun to get at! I'll try to pull it out tonight and check out the cables, at minimum I will need to put in a better shutoff switch until I can diagnose the drain problem. The fun begins!

[TexRiv_63]

Here is the latest installment, I found that the battery was too large for the underfloor box, had an interesting time getting it out! Once out it charged up OK but I decided to get a new Optima in the proper size. I also ordered new terminals and a knife switch style disconnect for the negative cable that will fit nicely on the top of the Optima. I put the battery back today with the old cables so I could start the car and take it for a ride. It started easily and ran great until it warmed up but then had the rough idle again so it was not the fuel filter. I'll have to go through all the tuning but no more time this weekend. I did park the car on the short side of my tandem 3 car garage, I had to back the bumper up tight to the wall but it fit and allowed the door to close with one inch to spare. I took some better photos of of the exterior plus one of the notorious battery box.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Don, that is an absolutly drop dead gorgeous car!!

Ben

[Mark Simmons]

Wow and double wow the only year and model Lincoln I dreamed of owning of course mine would be a pink convertible with a white top. A real Summertime car to cruise in. What a catch Don. Mark

[Landman]

Hey Don,

Lovely Lincoln. A friend of mine owns this one. Had it for 30 years or so. Nice to see another one saved and used.

[TexRiv_63]

Pat, that is a real nice looking Capri. I had limited time this weekend but did install the new battery disconnect, easier than removing the ground cable every time I park it. I also played with the driver's door, the latch was sticking and the front edge rubbed the fender and squeked when I opened it. I cleaned and lubed the striker plate and cog wheel but it was still sticking so I got out the precision tools. I grabbed a 5 foot 2 by 4, put it under the door bottom and rested it on the sill, then lifted up sharply. Did that 4 or 5 times, now the door unlatches cleanly and the squeak is gone. I can't remember who taught me that trick but I found out on this forum that it was a standard assembly line adjustment method back in the day! Here are a few pics showing the car wedged in my garage...

[D Yaros]

Looks an awful lot like my '55 Coupe de Ville in my garage!

[TexRiv_63]

The weekend before last I finally had time to jack this car up and pull the wheels. As I was putting it on the stands I was very impressed with the frame. I had done one side and was jacking the other side to support the rear and happened to notice all four wheels off the ground and also off the jack stand on the other side! That is a mighty stiff frame structure for a 54 year old car. I pulled all the brake drums and found what looks like fairly new linings and no signs of leaks at the cylinders. One of the front linings had grease on it, I assume from a leaking wheel bearing seal. I cleaned it with some brake cleaner but I'll need to get some new seals and repack the bearings and try to clean it more thoroughly. The front shocks are pretty well shot which explains the floaty ride, they are on the list also. Today I drove the car to and from work, its longest trip so far. It did pretty well, accelerates nicely but has some valve noise. I had it up to 60 mph and it was quite smooth on a good road but it is nervous on bumps. The brakes work well with a little pull to the left. Next on my list is checking all tuneup items, a compression test, oil change and valve adjustment.

[Mark Simmons]

Don- A word of caution from experience(s) of mine personally. I have had more than a few brake shoes on a few cars contaminated with w/b grease, brake fluid and rear end oil. I found in all cases a new set of shoes was the real fix for the shoes spotted with whatever. Even after several "cleanings" with whatever cleaner you want to name. I've experience the spinning of riveted on linings leading to that wheel locking up and causing a lot more than embarrassment. Just a word to the wise and my two cents worth. Mark PS A new set (4) of brake shoes does not cost all that much even for that great looking Lincoln of yours. M...

[TexRiv_63]

Thanks Mark, you are probably right about replacing the linings. Actually I usually wind up replacing just about everything in the brake system on most of my cars for safety's sake. question - what did you mean when you refer to the linings "spinning"?

[Lebowski]

I was curious as to whether you flew up to Washington and looked at the car before you bought it or if you just took the seller's word regarding its condition. If you bought it without seeing it first was it in the condition you expected? (I bought a '49 Buick last year on Ebay without seeing it first and unfortunately found out that the seller had misrepresented it in several areas which is why I asked.) I enjoy reading these types of threads and hope you'll keep the pics and info on the car coming....

[Mark Simmons]

Don- I was referring to the "wet spot" on the lining of the shoe of being grabbed by the drum during a slow down or stop and actually being pulled off the shoe face. The removed pieces of linings got wedged between the other shoe and drum causing an immediate lockup of that wheel. This can be costly especially when you're in traffic. Hope my experiences lead you to new totally dry lining surfaces on that beautiful Lincoln. I have to learn some things more than once hence the plural of "experiences". Mark

[TexRiv_63]

Lebowski, I bought both this car and my Starfire on Ebay, both sight unseen. I contacted both sellers and talked to them at length plus got extra photos. I do not feel either seller misrepresented the cars and both looked better in person than they had in photos. That said, both cars also had issues that I did not ask about and the seller either was not aware of or did not mention. All in all I feel that I got my money's worth in both cases but I did take a chance by not viewing the cars and we all know many people are not so lucky. One interesting thing is the wide variation in what people consider "good condition" - both of these cars had issues that I would be concerned about but the previous owners did not even pay attention to them. Take a look at my separate thread on the 63 Olds Starfire for a good example.

[TexRiv_63]

Mark,

I have never heard of the lining coming off like that but it makes sense. I've already created a To-Do list for this car, they always start small but never stay that way. I have just finished a long list on my 63 Starfire so the Lincoln will have to wait a bit for big work.

[TexRiv_63]

I found out more about the brakes yesterday, I got underneath to change the oil and filter and saw a fairly substantial brake fluid leak at the front passenger wheel. That's the same wheel that had the greasy lining so I guess it was not wheel bearing grease after all. So now I will be rebuilding all the wheel cylinders, replacing the front linings, repacking and resealing the front bearings and probably turning the drums along with a flush and bleed. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever bought a used car that did not immediately need brake work, makes you nervous at how many cars are out there with brake ready to fail! I guess I'm lucky my ride to work was not more of an adventure...

[John_Maine]

Growing up, my best friend's grandfather had a '57 4 door hardtop. I remember standing behind it looking at those fins. I love the taillights. My friend's grandfather lost his right arm in WW2 but he had no problem wheeling that big Lincoln.

[TexRiv_63]

I am not having any luck so far getting brake parts for this car, apparently the brake shoes are unique enough to not cross reference to more common Ford listings, same deal with the front wheel bearing seals. The only thing I have found so far are the wheel cylinder kits. I am actually surprised that this is a problem. My old standard local NAPA opened all the books after the computer came up empty but had no listings. I have looked on Ebay but see no brake shoes and only a few very pricy NOS seals. I would prefer not to deal with Kanters, can anyone recommend other sources or help with a cross reference?

[unimogjohn]

Don, why not send your shoes out for relining to a place like this from this forum reply. Might even have the seals.

ORANGE COUNTY BRAKE IN ANAHEIM, CA --- THEIR MAIN BUSINESS IS RELINING BRAKE SHOES FOR CUSTOMERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. A VERY HONEST 1 MAN SHOP WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF KNOWLEDGE ESPECIALLY ON OLDER CARS. HE EVEN OFFERS ASBESTOS LINING! 831 E. ORANGETHORPE, ANAHEIM, CA. 92801 EMAIL: APHHGR4561@SBCGLOBAL.NET PHONE 714-526-7716 ASK FOR RON.

[keiser31]

Try this place in Medford, Oregon...Sam Jennings (541)773-4511.

[TexRiv_63]

Thanks John and Keiser, I've started to look around here also for someone to reline my shoes. Due to my current fully packed garage situation I was really hoping I could find an exchange set of shoes so I can do the job without too much down time. If I can't do that I may contact these guys.

[Lawteachr]

Go To Kanter Auto Products - Classic Antique Auto Restoration Parts, they have a brake system rebuild kit, for your vehicle which includes brake shoes.

[TexRiv_63]

Go To Kanter Auto Products - Classic Antique Auto Restoration Parts, they have a brake system rebuild kit, for your vehicle which includes brake shoes.

Thanks, if I can't find any other source I will go to them but I have not have not had good luck with them in the past.

[TexRiv_63]

We were blessed with a few days of very nice weather so I finally got back to the brakes on this car. I rebuilt all four wheel cylinders and cleaned everything up. Even though only one was leaking all the cylinders were pretty muddy inside and needed help. Luckily no severe pitting and the bores cleaned up well. I flushed and bled the system and drove the car around yesterday - the brakes work great but still a little pull to the right, new front shoes still on the list. I did find the manual brake adjustment was way off with some too tight and some way loose, that was easy to fix. Next in line is freeing up a stuck heat riser valve and replacing the front shocks, can anyone recommend a good source for shocks?

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

We were blessed with a few days of very nice weather so I finally got back to the brakes on this car. I rebuilt all four wheel cylinders and cleaned everything up. Even though only one was leaking all the cylinders were pretty muddy inside and needed help. Luckily no severe pitting and the bores cleaned up well. I flushed and bled the system and drove the car around yesterday - the brakes work great but still a little pull to the right, new front shoes still on the list. I did find the manual brake adjustment was way off with some too tight and some way loose, that was easy to fix. Next in line is freeing up a stuck heat riser valve and replacing the front shocks, can anyone recommend a good source for shocks?

Both Monroe and Gabriel make shocks that fit a '57 Lincoln, the problem is they don't catalog them anymore. The solution to the problem is fairly simple. Pull one of the shocks and hot foot it over to a local parts store where someone has a brain cell or two. Measure the shock for cylinder diameter and length then measure rod travel and overall length. Compare with shocks in stock for a match. I suspect MONROE Part # 32066 or equivalent maybe be a match up.

[TexRiv_63]

Both Monroe and Gabriel make shocks that fit a '57 Lincoln, the problem is they don't catalog them anymore. The solution to the problem is fairly simple. Pull one of the shocks and hot foot it over to a local parts store where someone has a brain cell or two. Measure the shock for cylinder diameter and length then measure rod travel and overall length. Compare with shocks in stock for a match. I suspect MONROE Part # 32066 or equivalent maybe be a match up.

Thanks Jim, great minds think alike. I went to Monroe's website and found no listing for my Lincoln but I did find a listing for a 57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser with the 368 engine which spit out PN 32066! It also gave me all the measurements which I will compare to my shocks. I wonder if there are other similarities between the Lincoln and the TP Cruiser...

[TexRiv_63]

I solved my front shock absorber problem. I removed one of the shocks and measured it then went on Monroe's website and opened up their mounting length sheet at http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloads/english/08_MountingLengthSheet.pdf

You pick the type of upper and lower mounts that fit your car then match them to the length dimensions for all shocks that they make, when you find a match it gives you the part number. You can then search the part number and it will tell you what vehicles it fits. Turns out the one I needed fits a 1994 Dodge B350 truck, it is the Gas Magnum type which is very heavy duty. I installed them yesterday and they fit perfectly. I just took it for a ride, what a difference! No more floating or bottoming and even though it is rated as HD the ride is very smooth.

The site above is a great and useful reference which I have bookmarked for the future.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Thanks Jim, great minds think alike. I went to Monroe's website and found no listing for my Lincoln but I did find a listing for a 57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser with the 368 engine which spit out PN 32066! It also gave me all the measurements which I will compare to my shocks. I wonder if there are other similarities between the Lincoln and the TP Cruiser...

A bit late in responding to the question about commonalities that may exist between the '57 Lincolns and '57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. With out getting to a list of specifics, the answer is there were many. However, there were/are many parts that were common among all Mercurys, Fords, and Lincolns. A practice that actually began in 1949. Same is also true for GM cars the only difference being GM Divisions assigned their own part numbers so consumers owning a Cadillac, Olds, or Buick could enjoy paying two to three times what the part would cost if their car had been a Chevy or Pontiac. Big public flap over that years ago when it came to light.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

I solved my front shock absorber problem. I removed one of the shocks and measured it then went on Monroe's website and opened up their mounting length sheet at http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloads/english/08_MountingLengthSheet.pdf

You pick the type of upper and lower mounts that fit your car then match them to the length dimensions for all shocks that they make, when you find a match it gives you the part number. You can then search the part number and it will tell you what vehicles it fits. Turns out the one I needed fits a 1994 Dodge B350 truck, it is the Gas Magnum type which is very heavy duty. I installed them yesterday and they fit perfectly. I just took it for a ride, what a difference! No more floating or bottoming and even though it is rated as HD the ride is very smooth.

The site above is a great and useful reference which I have bookmarked for the future.

I think I may take that approach for another set of shocks for my '78 Lincoln Town Car. The supposed correct ones are still cataloged but fall way short of creating a ride that was characteristic of the car when it would have been new. Sucker still wallows around a great deal more than it should.